Fly Away Heart
by PheonixEmbers
Summary: Hermione looses Ron in the final battle and has to learn how to love again.
1. Chapter 1: Anguish

**I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, settings, etc.**

Chapter 1: Anguish

An unmistakable green light burst forth, and in that moment, Hermione knew what was going to happen. Time seemed to stop as the spell crept towards her love. The sounds of the battle no longer reached her ears. Then, the world crashed. Ron fell, and a horrible, bloodcurdling scream broke the silence. Hermione fell to her knees, realizing she was the source of the cry.

She rushed forward, sending a quick, well aimed body bind curse at Dolohov. Hermione threw herself at the ground near Ronald and prayed that he was alive, that this hadn't really happened.

And then she woke up.

Hermione bolted upright, sweat dripping from every pore. She rocked herself back and forth, sobbing from the painful memory. She remembered every detail, even though she had lost Ron over a year ago. 14 months exactly.

The days had blurred into weeks, which blurred into months. She moved through the motions of life, numbly, at a snail's pace. She lost her desire to learn. Hermione was only eighteen. How was it fair that this should happen to her? Ron died when he was seventeen at the battle for Hogwarts. Harry Potter had won. The world rejoiced. But Hermione could feel nothing. Not even sorrow.

She and Harry, along with the other students that weren't able to finish their year at Hogwarts, returned to graduate, but the gaping hole left where friends, brothers, sisters, lovers once were was unbearable. Hermione finished her year and got a job at Flourish and Blotts, while Harry took up the position as DADA professor.

Hermione got out of bed, and headed to work, as usual. When she apparated onto the front step, she ran into someone.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Hermione quickly stammered. Then she looked at the recipient of her courtesies.

"Stupid Mudblood," scoffed none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy," Hermione acknowledged curtly.

Malfoy turned on his heel and walked away with his nose high in the air.

Hermione stepped into work, feeling a bit more irritable than usual.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco was shocked to see Hermione Granger. He hadn't seen her since the final battle at Hogwarts. She wasn't the girl he knew in school; eyes bright, ready to learn, insufferably knowledgeable, and constantly smiling around her friends, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. He had heard that Ron had died, and it was obvious that Weasley and Granger had had feelings for each other, but he never thought how hard it must be on her.

What was he talking about? She was Hermione Granger, the girl who always got better marks than him, and was constantly showing him up. He shouldn't pity her, but still…he felt something when he saw her like that. Similar to the way he felt when he saw her crying to Potter about how terrible Weasley was to her.

He resolved to go into Flourish and Blotts the next day to apologize to her.

**Okay, so short first chapter. Lame, I know. And yes, I am aware that the beginning was rather depressing, but it'll get better, I swear. This chapter was just supposed to fill you in on the differences between my story and in The Deathly Hallows. Everything else is the same, unless later in this fiction I decide to change something.**


	2. Chapter 2: Sorry

**Sorry, I still don't own Harry Potter.**

Chapter 2: Sorry

Stepping into the small bookstore, Draco could already tell that this was not one of his brightest plans. He was used to the whispering when people thought he could not hear; that was not the problem. It was her.

She sat behind the counter; just sitting. She didn't pick up a heavy volume on ancient runes, or peruse the shelves for a new novel. No doubt she had read them all three times over.

And then, without meaning to, he said, "Hello."

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione said; her voice free of the scathing, hateful tone he had suspected. Instead, it seemed resigned. To what he wasn't sure, but he didn't like it.

And then he looked in her eyes; her lovely brown eyes. They were nothing like he remembered. They were…empty. Such sadness filled her eyes that he was caught off guard and stammered a little bit.

"I-I just wanted to apologize," he said, smoothly covering up his surprise from a moment before.

"For what?" she said, still in that same tone. No curiosity, almost no emotion. As if she was there just because she had to be.

"Yesterday," Draco said, his regained confidence making an exit again. "I didn't mean to be rude; I was just…surprised to see you."

Hermione looked incredulous. "_You _were surprised to see _me_? _I _work here. I still don't see how that makes calling me a mudblood acceptable," she said as she remembered the details of their run in the day before.

"Well, I-um-I just wanted to apologize is all. I'd better be off," Draco said, already making for the door.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione stared at the retreating back of Draco Malfoy as he left the store. Her old self would have laughed when he stumbled, knocking over a pile of books, which he hastily restacked, but she didn't have it in her.

What would've possessed him to come in to her store, knowing that she was there, and apologize, of all things? This was so unlike the Draco Malfoy that she knew from school.

Throughout the day, she wasn't able to put her heart into her work, not that she really ever did. She was too busy pondering the earlier events. She thought perhaps the final battle had changed him, that maybe this was the cause of his metamorphosis; unfortunately, this lead to Hermione thinking about the later events of the battle. She found herself thinking about the loss of her Ron.

The clock chimed four and Hermione gratefully headed to the door. She quickly apparated home. The moment her feet touched her hardwood floors, she dissolved into tears, not even being able to make it to the couch.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Leaving the apothecary, Draco caught sight of a slender, bushy-haired figure making her way towards the bookstore. His body acting of its own accord, he jogged up to her, not really realizing what he was doing.

"Hello," he began, "fancy seeing you here."

"I thought we established this yesterday, I work here," Hermione said, irritably. She quickened her pace as they reached the shop steps, slipped inside, and slammed the door rather rudely, if he might say so, in his face.

It didn't pass his notice that the witch's eyes were rather puffy and her face blotchy, so when he was done with his shopping, he got a butter beer in the Leaky Cauldron and waited until Hermione was done with her shift.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione stepped outside and began to walk to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, prepared to have a nice, comforting ice cream alone. She was intercepted, however, by Draco Malfoy.

"Good afternoon, Granger," he said, in voice much perkier than his normal, degrading tone.

"Are you stalking me?" Hermione asked, flustered.

"Not stalking, per say, just waiting in a pub for four hours," he said, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

"And why, Malfoy, would you wait for me?" she asked, still confused.

"Oh do be quiet Granger. I only wanted to get some ice cream and I had no one to go with," said Draco with an innocent expression.

Hermione decided nothing terrible could happen by going to get ice cream with her Hogwart's nemesis.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco casual leaned back in his chair, observing Hermione self-consciously finishing her sundae.

"Must you stare at me?" Hermione asked.

"You're interesting to watch," he answered truthfully.

"Seriously! It's creepy," she replied, not believing him.

"Fine!" he said defensively. "Don't get your knickers all in a twist."

Hermione snickered.

"What?" he said, now mirroring her irritable attitude from earlier.

"Nothing," she said, with a smile that showed evidence of secrecy. "You just reminded me of my dad when you said that."

"Oh," Draco said, surprised that this was the cause of the snickering girl, but he wouldn't complain. In that brief moment, her eyes had lit up, and they were beautiful. He promised himself, promised Hermione that he would never stop until that light shone in her eyes every day.

**So I hope you liked it. I'll try to post my next chapter as soon as possible, but I can almost guarantee that it won't be coming up as soon as this one did.**


	3. Chapter 3: Forgive

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. Nor do I own any of the characters, settings, themes, or ideas affiliated with said series.**

Chapter 3: Forgive

Hermione worked fastidiously. The manager was doing an employee performance check later in the day and she was ready for a promotion. While meticulously stacking each book by genre and alphabetizing the shelves, Hermione kept glancing at the clock. As much as she wanted a raise, she wanted to get out of work. When the clock struck four, she made her way to the entrance, already spying a sleek blond head outside the door.

Quickening her pace, Hermione made for the door. For about a month now, Hermione would leave work only to find Draco Malfoy waiting for her. They would then proceed to explore Diagon Alley and just talk. At first, Hermione was wary of the friendship, but as the days progressed, she felt herself more and more at ease with him.

"Hello, Malfoy," Hermione said. Though they were becoming friends, they were not quite on a first name basis yet.

"Good afternoon, Granger," he said coolly. Before she could ask, he said, "Today, we are going to try something new. Let's go to Hogsmeade instead of staying here in Diagon Alley for once."

Before Hermione had a chance to agree, or object, he linked his arm in hers and Apparated in front of a small café in the quaint village. Keeping her arm, he led Hermione to a table near the back.

After they each ordered a meal, they began casually chatting, but when their playful banter took a more serious turn, Hermione became rather defensive.

"That muggle-born-" he started to say, but Hermione cut him off.

You see, Draco Malfoy had grown up quite a bit since their Hogwarts days. He was still rather prejudiced, but Hermione was attempting to change that with their daily visits. And when Hermione Granger doesn't get what she wants, she gets frustrated.

"Draco," she said, threateningly. Unfortunately, he didn't pick up on this threat.

"What?" he asked; slightly annoyed at being interrupted for no good reason.

"Let's not be prejudiced, shall we?" she said, glaring, her frustration amplified by his nonchalance.

"I don't really see how it matters-" he began, but once again, Hermione cut him off.

"How it matters? How it MATTERS?" Hermione said, her voice growing in volume and pitch as she progressed. "Oh, I don't know, maybe because I happen to be one of these mudbloods you're talking about. And, by the way, Voldemort's gone! Everyone else has moved on, or else they're in Azkaban. And we _Mud_bloods don't appreciate you- you _pure_bloods looking down on everything we do just because we aren't useless, inbred prats!"

"Hermio-" Draco began to say, but Hermione was just getting started, neither of them noticing the growing number of faces turning to watch the spectacle.

"Oh, I'm not done yet. I had begun to think maybe; just maybe you had grown up a little bit since we left Hogwarts, but no. Here we are, back at square one! Back at silly names and petty jibes! You know," She said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "you are just like your father. Arrogant, narcissistic, and spiteful."

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco had listened to Hermione rant on and on. He had slipped back, just once, into his old patterns, and accidentally made a comment about someone's blood. It wasn't a particularly hateful comment, but it set her off nonetheless. He decided to just sit back and listen, in order to appease the witch, she was rather frightening when she was angry, but he couldn't restrain himself when she made a comment about his father.

"Don't you _dare _talk to me about him. Ever," he said, his eyes flashing the subtlest hint of the powerful wizard he could be. "We are _nothing_ alike. Don't ever presume to think that you know anything about him, or rather, me." With that, Draco sat down, leaving a very terrified Hermione.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione did not miss the lightning flash through Draco's stormy eyes. She immediately realized the danger she was in and backed down, but not all the way. She refused to flinch, wouldn't step down, or break eye contact.

"We best be leaving. Everyone is staring. Go on without me; I'm paying," Draco said in a much quieter, subdued, almost apologetic tone. Hermione was shocked to hear Draco speak so soon after their fight. She was hoping to have some time to think before having to apologize.

"I- I'll see you tomorrow," she said, trying to fix the awkward silence.

"No, you won't actually," he said, surprising Hermione.

Was this something to do with the fight? Despite what she'd said, she didn't want to lose the friendship, if you could call it that, she had with him.

"It's not anything about what just happened," he said, answering her silent question, "I have to go somewhere for business. I will be gone for a couple of days." And with that, he left to find their waiter to pay.

Hermione waited outside for a quarter of an hour, but Draco never came out. She glanced inside, only to find their table already occupied by a young couple. She sighed and apparated home.

Over the next few days, Hermione stayed home and read. It was the weekend, so she had the days off. She kept worrying about the fight she and Draco had. She desperately wanted the couple of days of his absence to be over so that she could apologize. His absence was unbearable. It was like a mountain sitting on her chest, forcing all of the air out of her lungs. It was the same kind of pain as she felt when she thought of Ron.

And then it occurred to her, she hadn't thought of Ron since she had begun her afternoon excursions with Draco. That was all she needed. Hermione collapsed onto her bed, which she had been pacing next to moments before, and began to cry. She cried and cried, until her chest her. She cried for hours, about Ron dying, about Draco being mad at her, and, most of all, about being alone. Everyone else had fallen in love; the wedding announcements covering the pages of the Daily Prophet after the war had ended. But Hermione lost her love, just as the world was beginning to move on, her world was shattered.

Hermione cried herself to sleep that night. The next day, she wearily got up for work, dressing with the same resignation she had before Draco came into her life. She apparated to work, not even feeling the slightest bit excited to hear that she had gotten the promotion. When the clock struck four, she apparated straight home from the shop. She settled down on the couch with her favourite kind of ice cream, Ben and Jerry's Half Baked, and began to watch her favorite movie, The Notebook.

The director would be proud. Hermione cried at every single point that was meant to induce tears, and then some. When the movie was over, she had gone through the entire pint of ice cream and two boxes of tissues. As she was walking up the stairs, she heard a loud pop out front.

She sprinted down the stairs, wand at the ready, heart pounding. When she burst out the front door, she didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this. Draco fell against her as she moved towards him. She repositioned herself so that she was on his left side and helped him limp into the house. Laying him down in her bed, she quickly closed the blinds and turned on the lights. Looking over him quickly, she noticed several deep gashes in his face and arms. His left ankle was bruised and swollen, and she quickly decided it was fractured. Beginning to work diligently, Hermione cleansed his wounds and bound his ankle.

"Draco," Hermione said, "I'm going to have to take off your clothes." He moaned in protest. "I promise I'll put them right back on once I've healed you," she said, giving a small smile at his bashfulness.

Hermione slowly peeled back his tee shirt, careful not to jostle him, to appraise the extent of his injury. She took in a sharp gasp as she realized his shoulder was dislocated. She quickly looked elsewhere and began healing the lesser wounds. When she was done she put his shirt back on, as promised, and took off his trousers.

There weren't too many injuries; save for some nasty looking bruises that would have to heal naturally. She put back on his trousers respectfully, and then looked to his arm and ankle.

"I've got some skele-gro in the cupboard for your ankle, but the swelling and bruises will have to heal themselves," Hermione said to a barely conscious Draco.

"My shoulder," he said weakly.

"I don't know, Draco. I don't think I can do it. I would have to place it back in the socket the muggle way and I'm too squeamish for that. Can't we get a healer?"

"No!" Draco said. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I just can't risk anyone else knowing about this. If I trust anyone to do this for me, it's you. Please, Hermione, you're the only one I can go to for help."  
Upon seeing his pitiful face and hearing his desperate voice, Hermione set to work immediately. She gently lifted the arm to the angle it was supposed to be and pushed. She jumped back in surprise when Draco let out a cry.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Hermione, it's fine," Draco said, wincing. "It just hurts a little when it…" Draco fell into sleep mid-sentence, before Hermione could even ask what had caused all these horrific injuries.

"I'm sorry, Draco," she said, before exhaustedly slumping in the chair closest to the bed and nodding off, "Forgive me."

**After I posted Chapter 4 begging for reviews, I Fall Downstiars all the Time reviewed informing me of a few grammatical and spelling errors. I am currently in the process of editing Chapters 1-6 to avoid said errors, and I apologize for any more you might find. Unfortunately, I'm not perfect, and it appears that Microsoft Word isn't either. Please keep reading!**


	4. Chapter 4: They're Back

**I don't own Harry Potter. Enough said.**

**Hey everybody! If you have stuck with my story through these first few chapters, I just want to thank you so much! This is my first go at a fanfiction, so it's not very good. Please rate and review; I need all the feedback I can get.**

Chapter 4: They're Back

Hermione awoke the next morning to find herself all warm and snuggled up in bed. _Wait, in bed?_ Hermione frantically sat up; searching for the man she had left sleeping in the bed she was now occupying. She bolted down the stairs, looking for her patient, panicking.

Arriving in the kitchen, Hermione discovered Draco doing chin-ups on the rafters.

"Malfoy, what do you think you're doing?" she said, worry showing clearly though she tried to sound stern.

"Ah, it's back to Malfoy now, is it? I thought we were doing rather well last name, using first names and all," Draco drawled, slightly breathless from his workout.

"Alright then, Draco" Hermione said; Draco smirked, "Get down right now or I'll hex you into next week."

"Fine, since you asked so nicely," he said, lowering himself with ease. "If I didn't know you any better, I'd say you were worried."

"I am. Oh don't get that look Malfoy. I was afraid you would get blood on my furniture," she said in response to his mocking expression. "Get over here," she commanded.

Not wishing to deal with an angry witch this early in the morning, Draco sidled over to her, pulling off his shirt as he went.

Hermione gasped and he let out a self satisfied smirk. She simply glared at him and began to fix what she had missed in the dim light before. When she was finished with her tasks as a makeshift healer, she sat down in her favorite armchair with an exhausted sigh.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

"So what happened?" she asked. He had expected the questions, but prayed they would come later. He simply sighed in response, hoping she would let it go, but he should've known better.

"If I don't know what happened to you, how am I to know it won't happen again?" Hermione queried.

"You don't," he said, suddenly finding a fascination with the floor. Before she could blow up, he continued, "I was on a business trip."

"You don't mean-"

"They're back. They have found a new leader," he said, his voice resigned.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione gasped for the second time that morning.

"W-Who?" she managed to say after recovering from the original shock.

Draco looked up into her brown eyes, and in his stormy eyes, she saw the answer.

"I'm sorry," she said, but then a confusing thought surfaced, "If your –your dad is the new Dark Lord, why would you be beaten?"

He sat in silence for a moment, seeming to struggle with himself; he knew how she would react. "I betrayed them. When Voldemort fell and my family turned to the light, my parents went back, but I stayed. I'm a traitor to them."

Sometime during his explanation he had returned his eyes to the floor, and when he finally looked up again, they locked eyes. Hermione found herself unable to look away. The emotion in his stormy gray eyes was immense. She realized that he normally shielded his emotions, but he was allowing her to see. She saw all the pain, the guilt; he had felt the night before. She also saw something else she couldn't quite explain, nor did she have the energy to decipher. Not realizing what she was doing, the reached across the table and grasped his hand.

At this he quickly pulled away and returned to his workouts.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco's heart ached. He saw the hurt in her eyes when he pulled away, but the jolt he felt when they touched was befuddling, and he needed to think. After an hour or so of an intense work out, he took a break. Hermione walked over to him, and seemed to be mulling something over.

"Draco," she started bashfully, "You said I was the only one you could come to, and I think it's safe to assume this isn't the only time -this" she said, gesturing to his wounds, "will happen." She began to trip over her words. "I have –have an extra r-room if you need somewhere to say." Upon seeing his shocked face, she quickly said, "I know you have a home, probably a much nicer, larger home, but this way you would know you have someone to return to in case- in case anything happens."

"Hermione that would be lovely," he said, "but I can't. I can't put you in danger like that."

Hermione finally understood what she had seen in his eyes; he cared. She nodded meekly. She could tell this wasn't the time to be stubborn, so she let the subject drop.

"Oh, bugger, what day is it?" she said. Draco looked confused at the sudden change in conversation.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

"Um….Monday, I believe," he said, after mulling it over for a moment. He watched, amused as Hermione dashed around, sprinting upstairs. He heard a loud thump, presumably Hermione changing clothes. It occurred to him that she had been wearing her pajamas when he had apparated to her door.

He searched his memory, finding it easy to recall the details. Her hair was drawn into a low ponytail with wisps of hair that had escaped curling around her face. Her shorts were rather short, exposing long, toned legs he hadn't expected, and she had on an oversized t-shirt that nearly covered her shorts. All in all, it was a rather adorable look. Draco shook himself, deciding he wasn't allowed to think such things. He needed her, after all, and feelings for her would put her in danger. That was not okay. The thought of her being harmed enraged him in a way he couldn't explain.

When she reemerged, her hair was still in to same state it had been in before, though it was evident that she had tried to contain it, and she had on her extremely unflattering Flourish and Blotts uniform, but even still she was gorgeous.

"Oh, what am I to do?" she said, sounding genuinely puzzled, but Draco couldn't understand what the problem was.

"Pardon?" he drawled lazily.

"I need to go to work, but I can't just leave you here in this state," she said, as if explaining it to a child.

"This state?" he said, with an offended air, "I am not an invalid."

"Well then, I'll just be off to work," she said, rolling her eyes. "And I will see you back here," she added, her tone making it clear that he was not to leave.

"Yes, mother."

She stuck out her tongue and turned to leave, and was almost to the door when she heard a faint, "Thank you, Hermione" from the other room.

**I'm sorry it took me so long to post, everybody. I have ADD, so every time I went to work on this I got distracted. I wanted to try to make it longer for making you wait, but I liked where this ended and I don't have many subscribers anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Reviews make me write faster, because then I can't ignore my readers, so please R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5: Rendezvous

**Disclaimer: I don't own the fantastical world of Harry Potter.**

Chapter 5: Rendezvous

Draco watched Hermione leave. Even after she was out of sight, he stared at the place she had been. With a sigh, he sat down on the couch.

_This isn't going to work, _he thought. It was much more difficult to not develop feelings for this girl when she was so…Hermione. He cared for her. He had to admit it to himself. As much as he tried not to, he did. Truth be told, that was the first time he had said thank you, for anything. She was changing him. And that scared him.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione spent her day diligently working, proving that she deserved that raise she had gotten. When the workday ended, she was exhausted. She suddenly remembered what she was working hard to distract herself from when she saw a platinum blond head outside the shop entrance.

She walked outside briskly, giving a quick hug to Draco in order to discreetly check for injuries. He raised an eyebrow at her examination, but said nothing.

"What're you doing here," she said, masking a smile.

"What, no hello? I thought you were raised better," he said, with a playful smile.

"I told you to stay home-"

"Actually, you didn't," he said, cutting her off. "You said, 'I will see you back here.' You only _implied _that I had to stay at your house."

Hermione rolled her eyes at his snide remark, all the while puzzling over how he could remember such trivial details. "Well, hello, then. Now answer my question," she demanded.

"Hello, and don't we normally rendezvous after work?"

"Well, yes-"

"Then there's your answer," he said, with an air of finality.

"So where are we going?" Hermione asked, quickly settling back into the normal routine.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco just smiled at Hermione as he grabbed her arm and they apparated to Hogsmeade.

"Where are we going to eat?" Hermione asked.

"Actually, I wasn't planning on dining here, but I need to pick up a few things," he said, mysteriously. He was so enjoying the curious expression that graced Hermione's face that he nearly forgot where he was going. He noticed that he was staring and mentally shook himself. He headed towards the small bookshop, and took a wrapped parcel from the witch attending the counter with a courteous nod.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, but simply followed him out of the door when he turned to leave.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione was attempting to analyze his actions. He was being so enigmatic. She thrilled at the thought. She loved a good puzzle. Her train of thought was interrupted by Draco clearing his throat nervously. No, that couldn't be right; Draco Malfoy doesn't get nervous. But, here he was, and he appeared to be nervous.

"I-um- I – I just wanted to – uh," he stammered, rubbing his neck. "Do you mind if we have lunch at my place?"

"Sure," Hermione said, not understanding what made him act this way. "Is there anything else? You look anxious," she added.

"I just, don't know what you'll think of it."

"Is that all?" she said with a small laugh. Upon seeing his still anxious face, she said, "Draco, we'll still be friends, no matter how large your house is." Draco let out a small exhale. She walked towards him and offered her arm, and they apparated nearly immediately after they made contact.

Hermione couldn't contain herself, her jaw dropped. Draco's house was not a manor, full of skulls, and dark materials, and strutting peacocks, as it had been during the war. What she saw before her was a small, very classy home, without ostentatious decorations. Draco gently reached over and closed her jaw with his forefinger, jolting her from her stream of thought.

Hermione looked into his eyes and saw a stormy sea of gray; a smile lighting up the pair like lightning in the tempest. She pulled away, looking at the ground. Draco, being the gentleman, lightly grabbed her hand and led her to the door, remaining silent. He led her through the door, where her jaw dropped, once again.

The hallway was painted a subtle cream, with a light hardwood floor, and a long, slim rug to match the molding running the length of the hallway. Three doors on each side lined the walls, each one plain, but adorned with an exquisitely crafted doorknob made of clear glass.

Closing her mouth, Hermione let Draco lead her to the first room on the left. Opening the door, he revealed a salon with a large fireplace, a small coffee table, and two plush green armchairs. The room was trimmed with silver and bore the Slytherin colors, but looked far classier and friendlier than the Slytherin common room.

With a sweep of the hand, gesturing towards the room as a whole, he said, "The salon." In explanation of the dust, he added, "I don't really spend much time in here, so it's not the best taken care of."

Continuing down the hallway, Draco showed the rooms in turn; the guest bedroom, the bathroom, the library, and the kitchen. The library had floor to ceiling bookshelves on each wall except for the one facing West, which was entirely paneled with windows. A long sofa sat against this wall, facing the door. When Draco revealed the room to her, he left her to explore it while he made dinner.

Smelling the tantalizing aromas wafting from the kitchen, she proceeded to the second to last door on the right. She opened it to expose a beautiful kitchen with Draco cooking over the pot. Hermione raised her hand to her mouth in order to hide her snicker, but she was unsuccessful. Draco turned around and said, "What is so funny?"

After composing herself, she said, "I just never pictured you as the cooking type."

"And?"

"I don't know really," she said with a shrug. She pulled herself up into one of the stools lining the counter. She contentedly watched him for 20 more minutes as the stew, she decided, finished cooking. When it was done, he served her and sat next to her. They laughed throughout the meal and had a generally grand time.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

"This place is amazing," she sighed as they washed the dishes.

"Well-um- that's actually what I wanted to t-talk about," Draco stuttered. Hermione nodded for him to continue. "I was wondering if you wanted to set up the guest room as your own room and you could stay hear occasionally- when I get back from these meetings," he said, in a rush.

"I thought you didn't want to stay with me?" Hermione asked, befuddled.

"I'm afraid if I come to you every time I'm injured they'll find you and-"

"Draco, its fine," she said with a small smile, "I'd be glad to come over and help whenever you need me."

"Hermione, there's something else," Draco said, not allowing himself to stall anymore. "My father, he's coming. He wants you to pay for all the crimes done to pureblood race. He says 'Who better to pay than the most famous mudblood in the history of magic?' I'm sorry, Hermione. I don't know what to do, but I have to keep you safe somehow."

**Two chapters in one night! Score! Please rate and review everybody. No, I don't really know where this story is going, so if it sounds kind of unplanned, that's because it is. Again, R&R! Ideas, suggestions, comments, everything is accepted. I advise getting an account if you don't already have one. It is very useful to see when your favourite authors are posting something new, and it means I can reply to your reviews! Good night!**


	6. Chapter 6: I Don't Know

**Hello, again. As you probably already know, I do not own Harry Potter. I would have a much larger house if I did.**

Chapter 6: I Don't Know

Hermione's jaw dropped, for the third time. She really needed to stop doing that. He was- she couldn't even complete the thought. She felt like she had in the Malfoy manor when she was singled out to be tortured. It was unfair. The war had ended this!

"Hermione?" Draco said, startling her awake.

She looked up at him, seeing concern in his eyes, and something else- protectiveness? He broke eye contact by pulling her into a hug, gently cradling her in his chest.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured. Hermione's confusion and fear poured out of her eyes and she cried into his arms. To her surprise, he didn't let go. He held her until the tears all dissolved; tear tracks staining her cheeks and his shirt. When she felt she could cry no more, she stayed, hiccupping, in his arms. When she finally composed herself enough to notice what she was doing, she decided she didn't care.

Draco was holding her, and it felt right. She noticed that he was stroking her hair and quietly whispering, "I'm so sorry" over and over again. She looked up at him and watched a tear escape his eye and run down his long nose. She gently wiped it away and he chuckled.

"What?" she said, offended.

"I'm the one who's supposed to be comforting you, not the other way around," he explained. With this explanation, she remembered what they were crying about, what she was crying about at least

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

"Oh, Merlin. Draco, what're we to do?" she said. Draco saw the world in her eyes. There was so much fear and hurt and pain in her eyes, he couldn't take it.

He grabbed her hand and told her honestly, "I don't know." They both sighed and sat in silence for a few minutes. He was being more truthful with her than he ever had, with anyone. He didn't want her to be hurt; he _needed _to keep her safe. "You could stay here," he said, deciding to break the silence.

"Tonight?" Hermione said, "And I'd leave a bag here in case I need to be here. I'm just a little afraid to go home tonight."

"Sure, Hermione," he said, admiring her ability to think clearly after such shocking news. "I can go with you to your house so you can grab some things, if you like."

Hermione nodded at him and smiled. "Thank you, Draco." Suddenly, he was filled with warmth. Her smile tended to have that blasted effect on him. He grabbed her arm and apparated to her front step.

The moment they landed on the front step, spells were flying. Flashes of red and green mingled all around them. Hermione whipped out her wand, wondering why they hadn't been hit by a spell yet. She looked to her right and realized that Draco had cast a protective shield about her and was dueling two mask wizards at once. Hermione jumped down from the porch and shot some spells of her own at the assaulters, leaving Draco only one to deal with.

His face was a mask of calm and concentration, but one look into his eyes showed the raw rage he was feeling. Hermione was so perplexed as to why this expression graced his features that she didn't notice a man with long, blond hair approach her from behind.

He wrapped his arm around her, covering her mouth, and cried out, "Halt! We have what we need." With that, Lucius Malfoy apparated, and with loud pops, so did the six or seven followers he had with him.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco cried out as Hermione was torn away from his sight. His mind was filled with rage at his father and fear for Hermione. He paced helplessly in front of her door. He couldn't do anything, and that enraged him. There was no way to know where they apparated. He tested the door, it was unlocked. He sighed at her carelessness.

Stepping in, he decided he had better pack a bag of her stuff and take it back to his place for when she got back. _If _she got b- No. He wouldn't let himself think it. He went upstairs, peaking through doors until he found her room. He smiled to himself when he walked in. There were bookshelves lining the walls, with a stack of three books on her nightstand. It was obvious that these were her favourites, as they were well worn.

He rifled through her closet, which was unexpectedly messy, until he found an overnight bag. He pulled out a few comfy looking t-shirts from her dresser, along with two pairs of jeans, and a set of wizard robes. Running through a mental checklist, he blushed. Gingerly, he reached into the top drawer of her dresser and grabbed a couple of bras and some knickers. He grabbed a fistful of socks, and dumped the entire load into the bag, glad to be rid of them.

Noticing a door next to the closet, he decided it was the bathroom. He pulled all the necessary toiletries out of the medicine cabinet and closed the door behind him.

Upon reentering the room, he noticed a single photograph lying on her nightstand. Looking around, he observed that there were no decorations in the room. He set down the bag and picked up the photo, noticing tear marks blemishing it. It was of Hermione and Ronald Weasley, who was spinning the former around while they were both smiling and laughing. He gently set it on top of the stack of books and swept them all into the duffel.

Looking around, he decided he had everything she needed and apparated home. He walked down the hallway, his feet dragging, and dropped the bag on the end of the bed that was to be Hermione's. He dragged himself to his own room and fell asleep in his clothes, on top of the sheets, nearly immediately after he hit the mattress.

Hermione woke up in a small room with a single light fixture. The walls were brown and rugged, and the air felt moist. She assumed she was underground somewhere, possibly in a dungeon. She sat up, only to be greeted immediately by a spinning head and a heaving stomach. She attempted to stand, more slowly this time, but her knees buckled. With a grumble from her stomach, she realized the last time she had eaten was dinner the day before.

A loud, rude knock came from a door she had not seen in the wall farthest from her. She shrunk into the corner, afraid of what might be coming.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" a voice drawled from the other side of the door.

"You can go and die," Hermione spat out.

"Ah, well. You can't get everything you want," he said, as if she had simply said he ought to get a hair cut. The large metal door swung open with a creak. Lucius Malfoy stepped in, no longer the sniveling, drunken servant to Voldemort. He stood tall and proud; appearing to emanate darkness. "My, my, Hermione. It truly has been a long time since I last saw you. You have certainly," he said with a leer, "grown."

"You disgust me, Malfoy," Hermione said, refusing to show her discomfort, "You preach about how dirty muggle-borns are, yet, if you look at a 'pureblood' family tree, you will see just how foul your blood is."

Malfoy raised his hand to strike her, but lowered it, as if thinking better of it. "Stand up," he snarled.

Hermione sat still, trying to look as if she was being defiant, not wanting to reveal that she was too weak to hold her own weight.

"Oh, you can't," he said, in mock concern. "My dear son won't like that now will he? He can't use you then."

"Don't say that!" Hermione said, refusing to listen to him, "You don't know him."

"And you do?" he said with the signature Malfoy smirk, "I know I raised my son better than that; to mingle with _mudbloods_. The idea is just foul."

Hermione chose to ignore the comment about her blood. She kept her head high and stood up. It took all of her focus and energy, but she would not let him see her fall.

"Now, _crucio_," Malfoy cried suddenly.

Hermione fell to the floor, but she did not give him the pleasure of seeing her writhe. The first torturing curse she had received had been from a much stronger witch, and this was nothing. She smiled to herself, knowing he would not like the idea of a woman being stronger than him, especially if he was to be the next Dark Lord.

"You'll never win, you son of a bitch," she said, smiling like a lunatic. Then, she blacked out.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco woke up, and shook himself out of his dream. He had seen Hermione being tortured by his father, and he knew where she was. He didn't bother to stop and think about why he was able to have a vision about her whereabouts and condition, supposedly while it happened; he was too busy trying to plan how to get her out.

Draco swiftly apparated to one of his family's old holiday homes. He briskly made his way to the door that should lead to the cellar, surprised that there was no on guarding it. He opened the latch.

"_Stupefy!"_

Draco woke up with a nasty headache, tied in the very cellar he had been heading to. He felt as if he had been kicked in several places, and most likely had been. He rolled over gingerly on his side, and was met by two wide brown eyes. He went to move towards her, but she shook her head and warned him with her eyes. He looked her over and noticed several terrible bruises forming, along with a black eye, and the haunted look of someone who's seen terrible things in her eyes.

He nodded in understanding and mouthed the words, "Are you alright?" She nodded, then flicked her eyes towards the door, where they heard a knock.

"May I come in?" his father asked in mock courtesy.

"Lucius," Hermione growled.

"I was under the impression we weren't on a first name basis," the elder Malfoy said upon entering the room. "Tsk, tsk Draco. I was told there was an intruder, but I would have never imagined my own son coming on a heroic rescue mission to save his love."

"You wouldn't know a thing about love," Draco barked, gritting his teeth in order to contain himself. "Father, take this as my no to your invitation," he added.

"Then you're not my son," Lucius Malfoy said, pivoting on his heal and marching out the door.

The moment that he was out of sight, he rushed towards Hermione. He unbound her hands and pulled her into a brief hug. "Are you alright?" he asked again.

Hermione nodded again, burrowing her head in his chest. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Why?" he asked, perplexed.

"That I ever compared you- to _him_," she spat.

"Oh, Hermione. It's fine, let's just find a way out of here," he said, trying to stay rational when all he wanted to do was hurt every single person who had ever caused her to feel pain.

"They didn't take my wand, though why not, I have no idea," she said, looking as if she was trying to solve a puzzle.

"They don't want to keep us here; they just wanted to get a point across, though I don't think this'll be the last time we encounter them," he explained, shivering at how easily he was able to decipher their actions.

"Unfortunately, all the magic I have won't open this door from the inside," Hermione said, "but I am feeling rather weak, so you might be able to do something." She looked up hopefully at him, and he desperately wanted to give her whatever she wanted, so he tried.

"Have you tried sending a message?" he asked. She just looked at him. "Right, you didn't, because it would've been to me anyway," he thought out loud, "Have you tried Potter?"

"Actually, I hadn't thought of that," Hermione said, casting a patronus in the form of a Jack Russell Terrier, "That should do it."

They sat and waited in silence until a stag patronus returned after about a quarter of an hour. "A team of aurors will be there in 10 minutes, hold tight," it said in Harry's voice.

Draco and Hermione remained still and stared at the door until they heard a series of bangs that seemed to be coming from above their heads. The door burst open, a man with messy black hair stepping in.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Harry blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim light. They landed on Hermione, who tried to stand only to collapse, but Draco caught her before she could. Only then did he realize the young blond near his friend.

He raised his wand, preparing to duel, only to be interrupted by Hermione saying, "No, he's a friend."

Draco watched the apprehension settle on Harry's face, but ignored it and helped Hermione get to a standing position, while Harry grabbed her other arm. They moved just outside the cellar door and prepared to apparate.

"We can't go back to her place," Draco explained, "They were waiting for her there and took her."

"So where to then?" asked The Boy Who Lived.

Draco locked eyes with Harry. Harry was shocked to see pure concern on Draco's face, and decided that he had better trust him. He grasped the arm that he was supporting, and watched Draco mirror him, then felt himself spinning in the pit of stomach, and braced himself for apparation.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco breathed a sigh of relief when they apparated to his front step without problem. He was secret keeper for his own house, and he wasn't entirely sure on whether or not the new clan of Death Eaters would be able to find it.

He stepped onto the front step, gently handing Hermione to Harry in order to unblock the locking wards on his door so they could enter. Stepping inside, he told Harry, who didn't look like he much appreciated being ordered around by the young Malfoy, to go ahead and sit in the kitchen. He took Hermione to her room and laid her gently in bed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear; she had fallen asleep on the way there. He closed the door behind him, only to find that Harry had been standing in the kitchen doorway, watching the whole scene. He appeared shocked that Draco was so gentle with Hermione, that he cared so much.

"What was that?" he asked curiously.

"What?" he asked, not sure which 'that' he was talking about.

"The duffel bag in there," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing.

"A bag of her stuff," he said. "We were heading to pick it up at her house when they took her."

"They?" Harry asked.

"This is going to take a while," Draco sighed, "Take a seat."  
They sat at the small dining table and Draco explained everything; all the way back to the beginning, about how they became friends. He left out his conflicting emotions regarding her, as he wasn't even sure what they were yet. He saw the new knowledge was slightly confusing, and overwhelming to Harry. He sighed inwardly; he scarcely interacted with anyone other than Hermione nowadays and he was used to her ability to soak up knowledge like a sponge.

When he finished, he sat silently, allowing Harry to mull it over and decide how to phrase his questions.

"So, you're friends?" he asked quizzically.

"Yes."

"And you get along?"

"Please don't waste my time, Potter. I don't have to have your approval," he quipped, "but, if it makes you feel any better, I won't ever hurt her."

**So, I finally succeeded in making my chapter slightly longer. Hooray! Also, you may have noticed that Hermione's patronus is a Jack Russell Terrier, and not an otter. When Ron died, her patronus took on his patronus's form. I hope you enjoyed reading. If you rate and review, I might be able to post an entire chapter every day for the next week ;) **

**P.S. For those of you who didn't read the Author's Note I added to the end of Chapter 3, I have been editing my story. After I posted Chapter 4 begging for reviews, I Fall Downstiars all the Time reviewed informing me of a few grammatical and spelling errors. I am currently in the process of editing Chapters 1-6 to avoid said errors, and I apologize for any more you might find. Unfortunately, I'm not perfect, and it appears that Microsoft Word isn't either.**


	7. Chapter 7: Friends

**Disclaimer: I don't own HP. End of story. Actually, that story will have however many chapters my fanfiction has. It's okay, readers; you don't have to read this. Trust me; I don't even want to have to write it. If I were any good, I would write a story with my own characters and world; at least then I wouldn't have to write a disclaimer… I used a lot of semi-colons in that; I think I like it :)**

Chapter 7: Friends

Harry felt the drastic change in Draco's tone in that single sentence like a blow to image he had formed of him over the last eight years. He felt the almost tangible tension after his utterly sincere remark.

"Well…um," he cleared his throat. "I suppose I wouldn't trust her with anyone other than you.

It was Draco's turn to feel shocked. His jaw dropped and Harry chuckled soundlessly at him.

"She's like my sister; I can tell when something is good for her. Her eyes; she looked as haunted as she did during the war, but there was something there that hasn't been there since- since Ron died," he said, choking out the last bit, "Life."

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco stared at Harry, seeing him in a new light. He wasn't the arrogant schoolboy from Hogwarts who he'd always had a rivalry with; he was a man, a brave, insightful one. He understood why Hermione valued him so much.

Without meaning to, he reached forward, shaking Harry's hand. There was nothing awkward about the gesture, and Harry understood it perfectly; it was a peace offering. They locked eyes, then Harry surprised Draco again by breaking into a grin.

"Do you love her?" he asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Draco was caught off guard. He blinked, not sure how to reply. "Uh… Of course not! We're just friends, nothing more," he said, as if reassuring himself.

Harry looked at him as if he knew what lay in his own heart better than he did. It was infuriating. Draco could tell this peace treaty was going to be difficult. "Of course, because a friend just leaves behind everything he was raised with and goes on a suicide mission to save the very thing he was bred to hate," Harry said, with one doubtful eyebrow raised.

Draco sighed wearily, "Like I said, I don't need you to understand. I'm not in the mood to argue with you."

"This new Draco Malfoy is going to take some getting used to," Harry said, chuckling. _He laughs a lot,_ Draco thought peevishly.

"Well you better get used to him, because he's not going anywhere," he grumbled, and Harry laughed, again.

Draco decided he had better company to attend to and moved to sit at the foot of Hermione's bed. He was content to just watch her and contemplate the conversation he'd just had with her best friend, but she had other plans. Hermione let him know she was awake by grasping his hand and giving it a light squeeze.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing back a stray curl from her face.

"Better," she said, "I see you've already set up for me."

"Yeah; I decided, since there was nothing I could do, I might as well grab your bag and bring it back here," he said shyly, though he wasn't quite sure why.

"Well it was very nice of you," she said with a smile. It was then that she noticed the picture resting on top of the stack of books on her night stand. Her breath caught in her throat, tears already threatening to spill over.

"Hermione, I-" he said, struggling to find the right words to comfort her.

"No, it's fine. I-I just miss him is all. I didn't just love him; he was my best friend," she sobbed.

Draco decided that the best thing he could do was not say anything, just hold her. He moved up to where she sat on the bed and pulled her into his lap. He stroked her hair and held her, promising to never let her go.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione sobbed into Draco's shirt for the second time in one night. She was exposing herself far more than she wanted, but she couldn't help but feel like he could be trusted. She had grown closer with him than anyone, even Harry. She continued to sob, but now because of the other friends she lost due to her depression. She never went to the Burrow with Harry, no matter how many times he invited her; she couldn't bear all of the carrot-tops when the only one she wanted to see wasn't there.

Hermione decided, then, in Draco's arms, that she would live again. Ron would not have wanted her to stop living because of him; her grievance period was up. She dried her eyes and stayed, shaking slightly, pressed into Draco's chest.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You have been weeping an awful lot lately," Draco observed shrewdly. Hermione laughed at his blunt observation. "Do you want to talk," he said, his eyes showing that he would gladly discuss anything with her.

Hermione told him all about Ron; their time at Hogwarts, and how much she missed him. She explained the epiphany she'd just had in his arms. He set one finger under her chin and gently pulled her face up to his. Hermione's eyes fluttered closed and her heart beat as fast as a hummingbird's wings.

Harry cleared his throat from the doorway, just as their lips were about to meet. "Just friends, eh?" Harry said, winking at Draco. Hermione was baffled; she looked to Draco for an explanation, but he was glaring at Harry. Hermione suddenly started giggling uncontrollably, and she knew that if she tried to stop, it would be fruitless.

She laughed for her friends; she had her two favorite men in the world in the room with her, and nothing could touch her. Harry sat down at the foot of the bed, laughing as well, while Draco stared at them like they were two loons. Who could say they were wrong, though?

Finally, Draco began to laugh, Hermione's infectious laugh making resistance impossible. He beamed at her, and all three of them forgot any troubles they had. After about 15 minutes of spontaneous laughter, they all caught their breath…only to see each others' red faces and burst out into another, shorter fit.

Composing themselves, they all three sat up, at the same time, which warranted another giggle. Draco led they way to the kitchen, where they all chatted and ate Frosted Flakes.

"I never thought you would be a Frosted Flakes man, Malfoy," Harry said, amused.

"Oh, no? Well, it's true. I've loved Frosted Flakes since…forever," Draco said jokingly.

"That's something we have in common then," Harry said, "our obsessive passion for a sugary cereal."

"I wouldn't say obsessive, in my case, merely devoted," Draco smirked, "But I think the phrase suits you."

Hermione marveled at how quickly they were able to adapt. She could tell that they would not easily be friends, but that they were both putting in an effort for her. She surprised both of them by pulling them into a hug. Harry was used to Hermione and shrugged of her spontaneous display of affection, but Draco felt stiff in her arms. With a sigh, he melted into her, inhaling her hair. She smiled and stroked his head, pulling away from him before Harry could tease either of them.

Hermione smiled at both of them and bade them goodnight. Settling down into her new room- all three of them had agreed that it would be safe for her to stay there- Hermione realized just how tired she was; she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

**Okay, short, fluffy. I enjoyed writing it- I hope you enjoyed reading it. Some of you might be a little pissed about the almost kiss, but I decided I wasn't ready for them to officially be a thing. Next chapter will be much different from this one, but I think you'll like it; you can't have a Draco/Hermione without it. I'm not giving anything else away- Just wait and see. Please rate and review. I also just got a Personal Message from rituisawriter(thanks!), and if you do the same I will personally reply.**


	8. Chapter 8: Bitter Agony

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. (Jealous? It's okay; I would love to own Draco as well)**

**I would like to dedicate this chapter to and , which I use about a hundred times each chapter.**

Chapter 8:

Draco woke up the next morning with a stitch in his side, instantly reminding him of the events of the day before. He remembered laughing this pain into his side with Hermione and her best friend, the one he'd sworn to always hate, and making a peace agreement with said friend. The memory of his lips close to hers was burnt into his head. His heart started pounding; he had almost given himself away.

He would not allow himself to act this way. No one had ever penetrated him before, and certainly, this girl would not either. He resolved to remain polite, but aloof. He wouldn't let what happened last night happen again. Not ever.

Heading down to the kitchen, he decided to clear his head with a nice strong coffee. His plan was nearly fooled when Hermione came in and beamed at him. Blast that smile; it made his heart flutter and desire knot in his stomach. He simply nodded and went back to reading the prophet. He knew what this would do to her, how it would hurt her, but he had to protect himself. He would not feel anything for her; he was determined. He had to save his own skin; he was a Slytherin after all.

"Draco?" Hermione asked the hurt evident in her voice.

He simply looked up, not saying anything. Her eyes locked on his, and he saw tears building up in the rim of her large brown eyes. She wiped furiously at them with the back of her hand; she would not let him see her cry.

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered feebly.

"Doing what?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Last night we almost kissed. Was that nothing to you?" she whispered harshly, stinging him with her words, "Are you just using me, like your father said?"

"Don't bring him into this," he said, his eyes glinting dangerously. Perhaps this wouldn't be as difficult as he thought.

"This isn't about him! This about us!" she shouted, a blush slowly creeping up her face. "What about us, Draco? What about me? Don't you feel anything?" she whispered. Draco marveled at how fast she could transition from sad to angry and back again; he found he much preferred when she was angry. She was far easier to deal with that way; when she was sad, he couldn't help but care for her.

"What us?" he hissed, hoping to bring her anger out again.

"DAMNIT, DRACO! You know perfectly well what I am talking about!" she burst, surprising him with her fury; he wanted her angry, but this was plain scary.

"Calm down, woman," he said, sounding like a schoolboy again.

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOU PRETENDING NOT TO FEEL ANYTHING! I know you, Draco, probably better than anyone else. Any time something threatens you, or that image that you spent so long building, you throw up your walls. It's not you! And you know it! You feel things. You wouldn't have come for me if you didn't care. Even now, you're saving your own skin, but just for once, think about how it might hurt someone else!" Hermione ranted all in one breath. When she finished, she just stared at him, waiting, no, daring him to reply.

Draco just stared at her, and then said, "You think you know who I really am, but _this _is me. That other person you are talking about, _that_ is the mask. I'm just surprised you fell for it."

Hermione glared at him, and then shoved past him out the door. She ran into her room, bolting her door.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione sobbed like she never had before; more than when she'd had to erase her parents' memories, more than when Ron died, more than when she thought Harry was dead. Draco had hurt her in a way she couldn't explain. She didn't love him, they were just barely friends; she had only just gotten him to laugh the night before. A thought occurred to her; maybe she _did_ love him. Hermione's heart panged at the thought, and she realized it was true.

Hermione cried even harder, knowing now what she had lost. The promise to live her life again was forgotten, thrown out the window. Hermione didn't want to leave her room for days, and she decided she might not.

Harry knocked on the door of Draco's house, feeling uncomfortable that he had to visit him in order to see Hermione. The door was answered by none other than Draco Malfoy himself. He noticed weary lines creasing Draco's forehead, giving him the suspicion that things weren't alright in the household. His suspicions were increased when he left the door open for Harry to come in and walked silently to his room, closing the door behind him.

Harry walked to the second door on the left and knocked warily.

"GO AWAY!" cried Hermione's muffled, but still furious, voice from inside; he was right in being wary.

He gently twisted the knob; it was locked. "Hermione, it's me," he said, as gently as he could while speaking over her sobs.

He heard the rustle of sheets as Hermione got up, the dull thud of socked feet as she came to the door. He waited patiently as she performed one of the unlocking spells she was so good at. What the door opened, it revealed a Hermione with even messier hair than normal, unnaturally bright eyes freshened from tears, and tear streaks staining her face and clothes.

Following Hermione back to her bed, where she sat amidst piles of tissues, he sat at the foot of her bed, waiting for an explanation. When one didn't come, he took matters into his own hands.

"Hermione, what happened?" he said, with all the love of an older brother, reaching forward to grab her hand.

"I don't want to talk about it," she muttered into her hair, being the typical stubborn Hermione she is.

Harry had expected this, and smiled when it worked to his advantage. He marched down the hall and knocked on Draco's door, grabbing his wrist before he could object. He dragged him down the hall, into Hermione's room, and locked the door behind him.

"Hello, Malfoy," Harry said, grinning, "Hermione doesn't want to talk about why she's upset, and seeing as you both look rather down, I'm assuming you had a fight."

"So-"

"I'm not done yet, Draco," Malfoy flinched at Harry's use of his first name, "I'm positive, knowing both of your…obstinate personalities, that you have had a fight before, and therefore, this must've been a spectacular row. So what happened?"

"It's none of your business," Draco growled.

"I was hoping you would say that," Harry said, grinning infuriatingly. With that, he marched out of the room, and locked the door with every locking spell he could think of.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione glared at Draco through her hair, not ready to let him know her new discovery. She would hurt him the way he had hurt her first, she was determined. She turned away, with a huff. She would ignore him; that should be easy enough.

"Hermione, I-" Draco started. She looked over at him- ignoring him obviously wouldn't work- and saw that he had his face in his hands, a weary slump gracing his shoulders as he sat in the rocking chair by the window. She quickly looked away; looking away was clearly not going to help her feel any better about her new discovery.

She heard him stand from the rocking chair, certain he was trying to get out of the room, but found she was wrong. The sound of pacing footsteps on hardwood floor filled the silence between them. She looked up at him, mentally smacking herself for not being able to just look away.

"I'm sorry," he said, letting out a breath he seemed to be holding. "I've never had a friend. Allies, yes. Accomplices, definitely. I've never had a friend," he repeated, as if he was just now discovering this also. "I don't know how they're supposed to act, so I will offend you sometimes-if you'll be friends with me after that spat. The truth is, I'm afraid; afraid of having something, someone to care about. Most people are raised with people they care about, so this sounds odd, but when you don't grow up with it, you are free. You don't have to worry about anyone but yourself, which is probably the problem with most Slytherins. It's unbearably lonely, but, the thing is, you don't notice it until you finally care and you lose that one thing," he said, his eyes searching hers, begging her to understand.

Hermione nodded, unable to speak. She knew her voice would betray her emotions; the overwhelming desire to run to him, hold him, her love for him.

Draco meandered over to her, brushing her cheek lightly with his forefinger, before knocking lightly on the door. It swung open, revealing Harry grinning like an idiot. He stepped aside for Draco to exit the room, and then sauntered into the room. He sat next to Hermione on the bed, gently laying a hand on her thigh.

His expression softened when she looked up at him, as though he recognized exactly what this was all about. "Oh Hermione," he whispered, pulling her into a hug. She sobbed into his chest, marveling at how different two embraces could be; his was brotherly and loving, whereas Draco's was protective, and something else she couldn't quite name. "You love him, don't you?" he asked quietly, startling her nonetheless. She simply nodded into his neck. He held her tighter at this; he knew the pain that love could bring, but also knew that you should never give up hope.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Draco trudged to his room. He pulled the well-worn hoodie off of the bed post and slipped it over his head. He curled up on the end of his bed, staring into the flickering flame of the candle on the mantle, looking for all the world like a very lost five year old.

He stayed in that position for two hours, wondering what Hermione was doing just down the hall. He should go and check, just to relieve himself of this pain gnawing at his stomach. He wondered if this is what love felt like; bitter agony? Yes, it did seem to be the very feeling muggle singers wrote lame song lyrics about. He had thought that perhaps distancing himself would make it better, but this animosity was impossible.

He decided that different approaches to the situation wouldn't work; friendship was unbearable, animosity painful, and ignoring her wouldn't be an option. He had to confront his feelings. For once in his life, Draco Malfoy would risk his own skin and throw his heart out to be eaten by the lions.

**I hope you liked this one. It's my way of kicking off the New Year! Please, please, please Rate and Review. It will certainly speed up my writing process ;)**


	9. Chapter 9: This is Real

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN HARRY FREAKIN' POTTER! Or AVPS…Thumbs up to anyone who got that reference **

**I'm really glad everyone has stuck with my story so far. I'm sorry this chapter took longer to post, I was having a writer's block(actually, I was just kind of being lazy). I certainly would post faster if I had more rates and reviews…**

Chapter 9: This is Real

Hermione decided against leaving her bed that morning. The more she thought about it, the more she was debating about ever getting up. Her bed was rather comfortable, and quite warm. Harry had left earlier that morning, heading off to work, though he had stayed with her through the night, letting her cry herself to sleep in his arms.

Hermione's stomach growled in protest at her plans of isolating herself in her bedchamber. She groaned, contemplating starving herself versus confronting the very man who had made her cry. Her thoughts immediately turned to him, as if glad for the excuse to think of him. She thought of how he had looked when he had asked her to be her friend.

He had asked her to be her friend.

Her friend.

She had to give him a chance, if only to satisfy the unbearable longing in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't entirely sure if that was longing or famish, though. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, grumbling about the soreness that came with awakening after a particularly brutal night. _Oh, not _that _kind of brutal,_ she said to herself, _Hermione Jean Granger, get your head out of the gutters. _It was odd; she had always been so innocent, but her innocence had begun to peel away after Ron. And it had entirely shattered with Draco.

She walked to her door, trying to be silent; she desperately hoped that she could make it to the kitchen and back to her room with the tub of ice cream with no encounter. Scurrying across the corridor, she opened the kitchen door, which swung inward with a painfully loud creak. She had grabbed the ice cream from the icebox and was rummaging through the drawer for a spoon when she heard a drawling voice emit from the window seat.

"It's the drawer to the left of the sink," said Draco.

Hermione nodded and walked as fast as she could to the door, but was halted by a hand on her wrist. The hand that caught her was firm, but gentle.

"Draco?" she managed to choke out.

"Where do you think you're going with that?" he asked, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

DMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDM

Upon hearing Hermione enter the room in a painful attempt at a stealthy voyage, Draco debated staying where he was perched in the window seat. He forced himself to make his presence known, remembering his resolve the night before. Now, holding her wrist, with her delicate body so near, he wasn't sure what he was doing. She was gloriously rumpled from an obviously fitful night's sleep, her hair curling out in every direction, her night clothes rumpled. Wait, not night clothes. They were the same clothes that she had worn the day before. He frowned at her, genuinely concerned.

He wanted to smack himself for ruffling such a perfectly organized witch; he never wanted to take anything from her, especially not her obsessively neat personality.

Her confused expression finally registered in his mind. "That's my favourite ice cream," he explained. "You can't expect me to just let you take it, can you?"

She shook her head mutely. He wanted to hit himself again. He couldn't stall anymore; she was far too confused at his sudden friendliness. _I'm acting like a PMSing witch, _he thought. _Can wizards PMS? _He shook himself from his straying train of thought.

"Come, sit," he said, but his tone of voice made it obvious it was a request, not a demand.

She walked with him to the window seat and sat down. He allowed himself a moment to appreciate the golden halo the midday sun cast around her, basking her in golden light. He sat down across from her on the plush bench, and chuckled; she was holding the ice cream to her like it was the only thing that would save her. _Save her?_ he thought, suddenly despondent. _From me; I'm a monster._

"Hermione-I" he said, his previous resolve melting away by the second. "I'm sorry I acted the way I did last night. I know I've already asked you to be my friend, but that isn't enough. I can't be your enemy; it's unbearable. I can't be your friend; it kills me inside. I need to be something more, and I know you can't stand me. I can't see you again, I'm sorry. I- I think I-"

He was cut off by the crushing of her lips against his. He felt the heat of her body, her frizzy hair tickling his face. He brought his hands up to entwine in said hair. Her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. He kissed her with all the longing he felt, all the love for her. The fire and passion flowing between their lips was scorching, yet there was an innocence to it that surpassed anything he had ever felt. The raw and pure love was evident, from both of them.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Hermione pulled away with a gasp, yanking her arms back to encircle herself in a hug. The hurt was distinct on his face, but she was terrified. She had felt… She knew _she _loved him, but to feel the obvious love he had for _her_ was…incredible. She was in awe, but scared, nonetheless. She hadn't expected this. Hermione Granger did not deal in the unexpected.

She curled her legs up to her chest, making a small ball. She allowed some tears to fall, and before she could stop it, they were racking sobs. Draco looked utterly puzzled; one minute, she had been passionately snogging him, the next she was crying like someone had stolen her puppy. Hermione would've laughed, but she was too frightened. He gathered her into his arms, whispering into her hair and stroking her back lightly.

Hermione calmed in his arms, and soon her sobs were just little hiccups. When she finally looked up, she saw love, concern, and amusement in Draco's eyes.

"Would you like to explain what that was about, love?" he said with a small smile.

She sunk into his chest and whispered, "I'm scared."

He gently lifted her chin with his forefinger, "Is that all?"

She nodded in stretched upward, brushing his lips with hers. At his confused, but happy, face, she explained, "Just wanted to make sure this is real." He got a mischievous glint in his eye and Hermione was automatically wary. He slowly, and dramatically, reached towards her and began to playfully pinch her sides.

Hermione burst into a fit of giggles with a squeal and collapsed into him, breathlessly begging him to stop. He obliged and situated her on his lap. She nestled into him as he absently played with a string of her hair. She breathed out a contented sigh, willing to sit here, basking in the sun with the one man she loved, for the rest of time.

**Yay! So, I decided to give you a kiss for your time. Not a kiss from me, silly. A Dramione kiss, finally! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it; something light and fluffy. If I don't get rates and reviews from at least ten people before next chapter, something bad will happen to Draco. *Gasp*. I couldn't threaten Hermione because I know you all read these for Draco ;)**


End file.
